U.S., Iraqi Army train in air-to-ground integration

By Spc. Roland HaleJune 3, 2010

U.S., Iraqi Army train in air-to-ground integration
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – An OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter from Task Force Saber, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, pulls away after destroying its target with a rocket during an air-to-ground integration training exercise with the Iraqi Army outside of Camp A... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S., Iraqi Army train in air-to-ground integration
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from 27th Iraqi Army Fires Brigade watch as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior from Task Force Saber, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, flies overhead May 21. Task Force Saber and the Iraqi soldiers worked together to conduct an air-to-gr... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S., Iraqi Army train in air-to-ground integration
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Iraqi Soldiers from 27th Iraqi Army Fires Brigade and 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, surround a crate of rockets on Camp Al Asad May 20 before they are loaded onto an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter belonging to Task Force Sab... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S., Iraqi Army train in air-to-ground integration
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S., Iraqi Army train in air-to-ground integration
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

AL ASAD, Iraq (Army News Service, June 3, 2010) -- Iraqi Army Soldiers recently got a lesson from their American counterparts on how to coordinate and control aerial firepower.

Pilots from Task Force Saber of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, teamed with field artillerymen from 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 82 Airborne Division, and 27th Iraqi Army Fires Brigade for a unique training exercise outside of Camp Al Asad, May 21.

The pilots, flying OH-58D Kiowa Warriors, demonstrated their firepower and ground support capabilities as U.S. Soldiers walked the Iraqis through the process of coordinating and controlling their aerial firepower.

This is one of the first times the U.S. Army has included Iraqi personnel in their air-to-ground integration training.

For aerial operations, the Iraqi Army relies primarily on the Iraqi Air Force, which does not have attack and reconnaissance helicopters, making it essential for Iraqi troops to receive training on how to coordinate with the U.S. assets as they continue to assume the lead in combat operations throughout the nation.

The training began weeks before the first hellfire missile hit the target. Leaders from Task Force Saber, 1-82 AAB and the Iraqi Army coordinated their efforts to integrate the training into their busy training schedules.

After weeks of complex preparation, the training manifested itself on the Al Asad flight line as the small group of Iraqi soldiers participating in the exercise was given a block of instruction on air-to-ground radio communication and a tour of task force aircraft.

"[Getting] the IA coordinated with a timing that worked for them and their operational schedule was probably the most difficult [piece]. The actual training piece went fine," said Maj. John Steen, the officer in charge of the Task Force Saber element on Al Asad.

With all the pre-execution training completed, a convoy of Iraqi and U.S. vehicles rolled outside of Al Asad to set up their range in the Iraqi desert. Several Task Force Saber pilots prepared to receive the ground troops' requests for air support.

The communication between ground and air assets is often complicated, said Steen. It was made more difficult by the language barrier between U.S. and Iraqi personnel. They overcame this challenge with the use of interpreters.

The interpreters relayed translated calls for fire from the Iraqi field artillerymen to task force Kiowa pilots. Steen said he was pleased with the results.

Working closely with their 1-82 AAB counterparts, Iraqi field artillerymen also took turns communicating with the pilots overhead. The ground troops coordinated several series of aerial strikes to simulate receiving hostile fire.

After receiving transmissions from the Iraqi soldiers, the Kiowa pilots used their aircraft weapon systems to assault a simulated enemy location. With the launch of hellfire missiles and the rapid buzz of .50 caliber machine guns, the pilots attacked locations marked by the ground troops.

"We used tracers, smoke and lasers to mark the targets for the aircraft," said 2nd Lt. Mohammed Mana Jata, commanding officer of the Iraqi troops conducting the exercise.

Task Force Saber, which recently deployed to Iraq, will continue to include the Iraqi Army in future air-to-ground integration operations for as long as the Iraqi Army needs them.

The Iraqi troops' ability to coordinate with U.S. helicopters proved useful as U.S. Army aviators learned to effectively support them, said Jata. He hopes, though, his troops will someday be talking back to Iraqi aviators.

"This technology is a beautiful thing. It's the greatest thing to support your troops -- I love it," said Jata. "I would love to see the Iraqi military have this capability."

(Spc. Roland Hale writes for CAB, 1 Inf. Div. PAO, USD-C)